Feed and discharge mechanism for container handling machines



Oct. 11, 1949. F. w. KRUEGER FEED AND DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR CONTAINERHANDLING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet l- Filed July 3, 1944 Oct. l1, 1949. F.w. KRUEGER 2,48491@ FEED AND DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR CONTAINER HANDLINGMACHINES C. il, 1949. F w KRUEGER ZS FEED AND DISCHARGE MECHANISM FORCONTAINER HANDLING MACHINES Filed July 5, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M a l@36 y? 5 e 47 44 fw 36T I .In 1- 4,5

. l y www? -I ff Patented Oct. 11, 1949 FEED AND DISCHARGE MECHANISM FORCONTAINER HANDLING MACHINES Frank W. Krueger, Atherton, Calif., assignorto Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, a

corporation of Delaware Application July 3, 1944, Serial No. 543,339

10 Claims.

This invention relates to handling of containers as is necessary inlling and capping these.

For operations of filling or capping containers such as cans, jars andbottles, there is commonly employed a rotary processing mechanism ontowhich the container is fed and from which it is delivered after thefilling or capping process has been performed. In some of Ithesemechanisms the container is elevated to fill or cap this container whileit is on such' a rotary mechanism and the container then lowered priorto its discharge from the mechanism.

Various devices have been offered for feeding containers to anddischarging them from such a rotary mechanism and it is an object ofthis invention to provide an improved device for performing thisfunction.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing object, as well as furtherobjects and advantages, will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View of an improved embodiment of theinvention incorporated with a jar capper, this view being taken on theline I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical fragmentary sectional view taken on the line2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a development of a cam employed for vertically reciprocatinglthe container carrying tables of said invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of :the jar capper shown inFig. 1 and showing jars in different elevated positions therein.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4 and illustrating the transfer of jars from the feed runway ontothe elevator tables of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged fragmentary elevational View taken onIthe line 6--6 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the manner in which a jarpusher of the invention is mounted on the conveyor chain thereof.

Fig. '1 is a further enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on theline 1-1 of Fig. 6 and illustrating the details of said mounting.

Referring specifically to the drawings, these show a jar capper l havinga frame II on which a rotor I2 is rotatably mounted on a power drivenvertical shaft I3. The rotor I2 carries a series of capping heads I4 forcapping containers such as jars I which are fed to and discharged fromthe rotor by a feed and discharge mechanism I6.

'I'he rotor I2 has a hub 20 (see Fig. 2) on which is mounted a notchedjar loc-ating disc 2|, a

sprocket 22 having openings 23 therein, and an elevator unit 24.

The elevator unit provides a series of bores 25 in each of which anelevator plunger 2-6 is slideably disposed, the lower end of eachplunger carrying cam following rollers 21. These ride against annularcam tracks 28 and 29 which dene a cam path 30, an elevation developmentof which is shown in Fig. 3. This cam path includes a low portion 3I anda high portion 32.

Each of the elevator plungers 26 has a neck which extends upwardlythrough one of the openings 23 in the sprocket 22 and supports acontainer carrying table 36 on its upper end.

The container feed and discharge mechanism I6 includes sprockets 40, 4Iand 42 which lie in the same horizontal plane as the sprocket 22, and a.chain 43 is trained about these sprockets as shown in Fig. 1. This chaincarries a series of jar pushers 44 which extend upwardly therefrom andtravel between stationary horizontal tracks 45 flanked by guides 46 and41 to form a jar runway 48. Any suitable delivery device such as thedelivery wheel 49 shown in Fig. 1 may be, employed to deliver jars I5onto :the runway 48 so that one jar is disposed just in advance of eachof the pushers 44.

The tracks 45 are on substantially the same level as each of the tables36 when the latter is in its lowermost position by virtue of its rollers21 traveling in the low portion 3| of the cam path 33. These tracks 45end, as shown in Fig. 1. .lust outside of the path followed by :thetables 36 as they rotate with the rotor I2. The jars I5 are thus fed bythe pushers 44 from'the ends of the tracks 45 onto the respective tables36 as these arrive opposite the tracks 45.

As each table 36 continues to travel with the rotor I2, the rollers 21of this table enter the high portion 32 of the cam path 30 therebyelevating this table to introduce the jar I5 carried on that table intothe capper head I4 disposed immediately thereabove. The cappingoperation is accomplished in about degrees of rotation of l the rotor I2after which each table 36 is lowered -thus guided into and dischargedalong the chute 55 as shown in Fig. 1. 'I'he lowered tables continuewith the rotor I2, thus being withdrawn from between an adjacent pair ofjar pushers 44 and moved in between another pair of these jar pushers toreceive another jar being fed along the tracks 45 to the rotor I2.

It is to be noted that the tables 35 and the mechanisms for elevatingthese never interfere with the chain 43 entering or leaving meshingrelation with the sprocket 22 of the rotor I2.

Each of the jar pushers 44 has a finger 'I0 at its upper end whichextends forwardly from the main body 1I of this pusher. Provided on thisbody below the finger 'I0 is an adjustable finger l2. The forward endsof fingers 'I0 and 12 are in the same vertical plane and are of such alength as to contact and position a jar l5 in its proper location on anadjacent elevator table 3b.

Some of the jars handled have annular recesses 'I5 about their middleand when the table 36 is being elevated or lowered it is desired to keepone of the ngers or I2 in contact with the upper and lower portions oflarger diameter of the jar whenever the upper end of the jar is notcentered in one of the capper heads I4. The finger I2 is separable fromand adjustable vertically in any desired manner on the body 'II of thejar pusher 44 so that it will accommodate itself to various jars whichvary as to the size and location of the annular recess 15. For thispurpose the nger 'l2 may be secured to the body II by a screw I6 and aplurality of vertically spaced screw holes 'I'l provided in the body 'IIto receive said screw.

The jar pushers 44 are adjustably mounted on the chain 43 as shown inFigs. 6 and 7. Here it is seen that each pusher 44 has vertical holes 80bored upwardly from the lower end in which are received upwardextensions of chain pins 8l. The pusher 44 is held in place on thesechain pins by screws 82 which permit these pushers to be readiblyremoved and replaced by other pushers when this is necessary to adaptthe capper Il) for operation on jars of a different size or shape.

Each of the elevator tables 36 is provided with a notch 85 toaccommodate the finger 12 when the table rises or is lowered past thisnger.

I claim:

l. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of arotor adapted to rotate about a vertical' axis; a sprocket provided onsaid rotor concentric with said axis and having openings therein spacedinwardly from the periphery thereof; an endless chain meshing with saidsprocket and adapted to travel with the latter about said axis. as therotor rotates; means including a container feed station and a containerdischarge station and through which said endless chain travels; a seriesof container elevating tables provided on said rotor; means for feedingand guiding containers from said feed station onto said tables; meansfor ejecting and guiding said containers from said tables to saiddischarge station after said containers have revolved a substantialdistance with said rotor;v means on said v chain to propel containersfrom said feed station alongsaid feeding and guiding means onto saidtables and along said electing and guiding means to said dischargestation, said tables being disposed above said chain: and means on saidrotor disposed inwardly from said chain and operating through saidopenings in said sprocket to support said tables and to elevate andlower said tables to lift said containers as they revolve with saidrotor for performing an operation on said containers, and then to lowersaid tables and containers to operative relation with said ejecting andguiding means.

2. 'I'he combination as in claim I in which said container propellingmeans on said chain cooperates with means on said rotor to center saidcontainers on said tables against movement relative thereto when thetables are moved to raised and lowered positions.

3. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of arotor adapted to rotate about a vertical axis; a sprocket provided onsaid rotor concentric with said axis; an endless chain meshing lwithsaid sprocket and adapted to travel with the latter about said axis asthe rotor rotates; means including a container feed station and acontainer discharge station through which said endless chain travels; aseries of elevating tables provided on said rotor and disposed at alltimes above saidy chain; stationary means for feeding and guidingcontainers from said feed station onto said tables; stationary means forejecting and guiding said/containers from said tables to said dischargestation after said containers have revolved a' substantial distance withsaid rotor; means on said chain to propel containers fromsaid feedstation along said guide means onto said tables and along said ejectingand guiding means to said discharge station; and means on said rotor forelevating and lowering said tables while the containers are carriedthereon, said table elevating means being located out of the path ofsaid chain as the latter travels into and out of meshing relation withsaid sprocket.

4. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of: arotor adapted to rotate about a vertical axis; a sprocket on said rotorconcentric with said axis; an endless chain meshing with said sprocketand adapted to travel with the latter about said axis as the sprocketrotates; a plurality of elevatingl tables provided on said rotor; meansfor reciprocating each of said tables from a lowered position at a levelclose above said chain to a relatively elevated position to subject acontainer to an operation while supported on said table; stationarymeans for guiding a container onto each of said tables when the latteris in lowered position; and stationary means for guiding said containerfrom said 'table after it has been reciprocated vertically by saidtable, both of said stationary means for guiding containers onto andfrom said'tablcs being disposed above the tables when the latter are intheir aforesaid lowered positions, said tables and means forreciprocating the same being located at all times out of the path ofsaid chain as the chain travels into and out of meshing relation withsaid sprocket.

5. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of arotor adapted to rotate about a vertical axis; a series of individualelevators on said rotor each of which is adapted to receive and elevatea container to perform an operation thereon and lower said containerwhile the latter is supported `on `said elevator; a sprocket provided onsaid rotor concentric with said axis and beneath the lowermost positionof said elevators; an endless chain meshing with said sprocket andadapted to travel therewith about said vertical axis as the rotorrotates; means on said chain extending upwardly therefrom for propellingcontainers onto and from said elevators, said elevators being located atall times out of the path of said chain as it travels into and out ofmeshing relation with said sprocket means; and means independent of saidchain for supporting said containers as they are propelled towards andfrom said elevators as aforesaid by said upwardly extending means onsaid chain.

6. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of: arotor adapted to rotate about a vertical axis; a sprocket xedconcentrically on said rotor; an endless container pushing chaintraveling towards, about, and away from said sprocket; a series ofelevating tables provided on said rotor adjacent the pitch circle ofsaid sprocket; means for vertically reciprocating said tables intimed'relation with the rotation of said rotor between an up positionand a down position, said down position of the tables being above saidsprocket; spaced pusher members xed on said chain and extending upwardlytherefrom; and stationary means for supporting and guiding thecontainers in the path traversed by said pusher members as the sametravel towards and away from said sprocket to cause said pusher membersto move said containers onto and from said tables.

7. In a container feed and discharge mechanism, the combination of: arotor adapted vto rotate about a vertical axis; a sprocket fixedconcentrically on said rotor; an endless container pushing chain mountedfor continuous movement towards, about, and away from said sprocket in atortuous path of travel; a series of elevating tables provided on saidrotor and entirely disposed above said sprocket; means for verticallyreciprocating said tables in timed relation with the rotation of saidrotor; spaced pusher members provided on said chain respectivelyextending between adjacent tables when traveling about said sprocket;and means independently of said chain for supporting and guidingcontainers in the tortuous path traversed by said pusher members as theytravel towards and away from said sprocket to cause said pusher membersto move said containers onto and from said tables; and means forvertically reciprocating said tables and their supported containerswhile the same rotate with said rotor.

8. A combination as in claim 7 wherein said tables are supported on saidrotor radially inwardly from said chain to extend radially outwardly tooverlie said chain.

9. A combination as in claim 7, wherein said `tables are supportedradially inwardly on said rotor from said chain and overlie said chainwith the pitch circle of said sprocket substantially bisecting thesupporting surfaces of said tables.

10. A combination as in claim 6, in which said pusher members propelsaid containers onto and off of said tables while remaining in contactwith the containers throughout the period that the latter rest on saidtables and rotate with said rotor, said pusher members cooperating withmeans on said rotor to center said containers on said tables while thelatter are in elevated and depressed positions.

FRANK W. KRUEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filc ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 798,244 Wilmore Aug. 29, 19051,036,778 Baker Aug. 27, 1912 1,043,066 Chilton Nov. 5, 1912 1,434,415Taylor Nov. 7, 1922 1,860,720 Norgaard May 31, 1932 2,077,647 Stokes etal. Apr. 20, 1937 2,193,113 Podel Mar. 12, 1940

